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16 May 2012

Bird trapping on the rise in Cyprus – an estimated 2.8 million birds killed in 2011

By BirdLife Europe

The latest monitoring results in Cyprus show that bird trapping with mist nets and limesticks continues to rise, threatening many migrants travelling through the Eastern Mediterranean Island.

BirdLife Cyprus has carried out monitoring of illegal trapping right through 2011 and discovered that 2.8 million birds have been victims of this practice during the year. It is the highest number of cases reported since BirdLife Cyprus’ campaign against the illegal killing of birds was launched ten years ago. This dramatic figure highlights the increasing trend in bird trapping in the country, which threatens to reverse all the progresses achieved in the first years of the new millennium. The campaign, supported by the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), started in 2002.

Each year, BirdLife Cyprus has undertaken field surveys on trapping activities especially during the spring, the autumn and the winter in the country. It has also just produced a new report assessing trapping cases that happened during winter 2011-2012. It includes an overview on the situation and the ecological impact of illegal bird trapping in Cyprus, and a section on the latest survey results. BirdLife Cyprus calls upon the competent authorities, both from the Republic of Cyprus and the UK sovereign base areas, to adopt a ‘zero tolerance’ approach, if illegal bird trapping is to be stopped. Please find BirdLife Cyprus new report on winter trapping 2011-2012 here. For more information, please contact Tassos Shialis, Illegal Bird Killing Campaigns Officer at BirdLife Cyprus